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Quest Academy #2
Scavengers
Change is coming to Quest Academy. Can Sal rise to the occasion?
When the second years nearly lose their lives in a failed excursion, it’s the first years that pay the price. The curriculum is being radically altered to challenge the students, which means the stakes just got a lot higher.
Salvatore’s worst nightmare is taking on a demon, but if he wants to stay at Quest Academy, how will he prove to himself and everyone else that he can succeed? He’s going to have to take on an entire floor of a demonic tower before the first semester comes to a close.
That’s the least of Sal’s problems as he navigates through his first student mission away from the school. Sal is more comfortable at the crafting table, but he needs to survive in a reclaimed zone, outside of the academy, with the worst team of misfits you could possibly imagine.
It’s time to push the limits of Mythcrafting…
When the second years nearly lose their lives in a failed excursion, it’s the first years that pay the price. The curriculum is being radically altered to challenge the students, which means the stakes just got a lot higher.
Salvatore’s worst nightmare is taking on a demon, but if he wants to stay at Quest Academy, how will he prove to himself and everyone else that he can succeed? He’s going to have to take on an entire floor of a demonic tower before the first semester comes to a close.
That’s the least of Sal’s problems as he navigates through his first student mission away from the school. Sal is more comfortable at the crafting table, but he needs to survive in a reclaimed zone, outside of the academy, with the worst team of misfits you could possibly imagine.
It’s time to push the limits of Mythcrafting…
444 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2024
637 people are currently reading
580 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
January 13, 2024
A step down from book one.
Losing interest in this series, as it seems the author can’t decide if he wants to write a book about a crafter or a dungeon diver… It makes absolutely no sense that the government would risk the safety of a crafter which such a unique skill/power in dungeons/the tower, especially when it is frequently stated how the lack of proper equipment is one of the biggest hindrances to fledgling heroes.
Additionally, the way the completion of their training was handled at the end of the book (and the complete lack of consequences for the team leader’s actions) has me questioning if I want to bother reading the next book in the series. How authors handle mind control in books can be very hit or miss, and the way it was done in this book is possibly one of the most unsatisfying approaches I’ve seen so far.
Losing interest in this series, as it seems the author can’t decide if he wants to write a book about a crafter or a dungeon diver… It makes absolutely no sense that the government would risk the safety of a crafter which such a unique skill/power in dungeons/the tower, especially when it is frequently stated how the lack of proper equipment is one of the biggest hindrances to fledgling heroes.
Additionally, the way the completion of their training was handled at the end of the book (and the complete lack of consequences for the team leader’s actions) has me questioning if I want to bother reading the next book in the series. How authors handle mind control in books can be very hit or miss, and the way it was done in this book is possibly one of the most unsatisfying approaches I’ve seen so far.
January 18, 2024
Just feels really disjointed
I really enjoyed the first one but everything fell apart for me in this one and I DNF'd which I almost never do. Pacing problems are even worse the dialogue is really weird where characters react to things in ways that don't make sense like being angry or disliking characters with bad justifications. The main character is absolutely ridiculous compared to anyone else in the world and he doesn't even really work for it like everything's automated. So much time was spent on the tracker and none is spent on relationships with friends and other characters and also only 2 months have passed where he's been here the pacing would make so much more sense if he didn't learn everything instantly. I just couldn't do it unfortunately.
I really enjoyed the first one but everything fell apart for me in this one and I DNF'd which I almost never do. Pacing problems are even worse the dialogue is really weird where characters react to things in ways that don't make sense like being angry or disliking characters with bad justifications. The main character is absolutely ridiculous compared to anyone else in the world and he doesn't even really work for it like everything's automated. So much time was spent on the tracker and none is spent on relationships with friends and other characters and also only 2 months have passed where he's been here the pacing would make so much more sense if he didn't learn everything instantly. I just couldn't do it unfortunately.
April 5, 2024
I'd like to change my mind about the genre of this series. It's starting to look a lot less like Harry Potter with guns, and more like the Demon Slayer manga coupled with intrigues like Game of Thrones. If that sounds like your cup of tea - read on!
But you can be the cup of tea for everybody in a certain target audience.
This book seamlessly starts where the first book ended, and you can read them back to back without realizing they're two separate books. Sal continues to keep on fighting, and he - as well as we as the reader - sees demons for the first time really close up.
But over the course of their changed curriculum, he soon realizes that not all enemies are external and come through portals. Practically forced into a new team with people whose motivations are an unknown, Sal will need to apply every ounce of cleverness in the place he fears the most - the battlefield.
The original cast of characters is still there with a few people banned to the sidelines, and also enriched by a whole new array of interesting characters. True to the nature of the genre, the story itself progressed and evolved. We learn more about the world in itself - and about the stakes.
I really enjoyed this, finished it in two days and are now desperately waiting for the next installment! 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Read this review on the blog - the layout is better 😃.
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But you can be the cup of tea for everybody in a certain target audience.
This book seamlessly starts where the first book ended, and you can read them back to back without realizing they're two separate books. Sal continues to keep on fighting, and he - as well as we as the reader - sees demons for the first time really close up.
But over the course of their changed curriculum, he soon realizes that not all enemies are external and come through portals. Practically forced into a new team with people whose motivations are an unknown, Sal will need to apply every ounce of cleverness in the place he fears the most - the battlefield.
The original cast of characters is still there with a few people banned to the sidelines, and also enriched by a whole new array of interesting characters. True to the nature of the genre, the story itself progressed and evolved. We learn more about the world in itself - and about the stakes.
I really enjoyed this, finished it in two days and are now desperately waiting for the next installment! 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Read this review on the blog - the layout is better 😃.
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January 14, 2024
Did not finish.
Quit right about two thirds in. When it came to picking teams, it just got so ridiculous a to be completely unbelievable. The level of desperation had been amped up to compensate for ridiculous character choices but there is a limit for that to work. This had just devolved into a mess.
Quit right about two thirds in. When it came to picking teams, it just got so ridiculous a to be completely unbelievable. The level of desperation had been amped up to compensate for ridiculous character choices but there is a limit for that to work. This had just devolved into a mess.
January 13, 2024
Nothing more than the author's stream of consciousness.
The author's bio indicates he got his start on Royal Road and that's what this book feels like. It does away with the loose structure of the first book in favor of not having one at all. There are plenty of published books that do this but still manage to have some sort of story structure for the released books. Defiance of the Fall and He Who Fights With Monsters are good examples. But where they have the excuse of being cobbled together from loose chapters this does not.
Just one example without spoilers would be the introduction of a new character/department that has no bearing on the story whatsoever. They exist for a single scene and then are never mentioned again. This treatment is almost the same as what was afforded a main supporting character from the first book, Hannah—one single scene; otherwise offhand mentions.
The entire book feels like it was written with that same spur-of-the-moment decision. I believed, from the first book, the story would be about a young man with unimaginable power struggling to have a social life, a la Spider-Man. But not only are several of those struggles established in the first book dropped entirely at the start, but several new ones are introduced that go nowhere. Much like new characters. The rest are resolved by other characters even when they're the hurt party. Too much is going on and there's no reason to care about anything.
The author's bio indicates he got his start on Royal Road and that's what this book feels like. It does away with the loose structure of the first book in favor of not having one at all. There are plenty of published books that do this but still manage to have some sort of story structure for the released books. Defiance of the Fall and He Who Fights With Monsters are good examples. But where they have the excuse of being cobbled together from loose chapters this does not.
Just one example without spoilers would be the introduction of a new character/department that has no bearing on the story whatsoever. They exist for a single scene and then are never mentioned again. This treatment is almost the same as what was afforded a main supporting character from the first book, Hannah—one single scene; otherwise offhand mentions.
The entire book feels like it was written with that same spur-of-the-moment decision. I believed, from the first book, the story would be about a young man with unimaginable power struggling to have a social life, a la Spider-Man. But not only are several of those struggles established in the first book dropped entirely at the start, but several new ones are introduced that go nowhere. Much like new characters. The rest are resolved by other characters even when they're the hurt party. Too much is going on and there's no reason to care about anything.
January 19, 2024
Extremely unfulfilling.
The first book in this series was really good. I loved the world building and the story. You got a real sense of the desperation and fight that humanity had going. You were rooting for them.
In this book it really highlighted how selfish and awful humanity is. People manipulating each other and using each other however they wanted. The hunters are all jaded assholes, the guilds are insane and bloodthirsty, and the people in charge are moronic.
Any world with powers wouldn’t just allow people, ESPECIALLY MORONIC CHILDREN, who have the ability to full control and influence the minds of others to just use their abilities freely without any form of control on them. That’s is idiotic beyond measure to think would be the case. EVERY book or series rightfully fears and controls/limits people with those types of abilities. This one, they just do what they want and no one really does a thing about it.
I love the MC, I’ve wanted a strong crafter character for a long time, he can be whiny and second guesses himself a lot, but he’s a kid. Most of the support characters are really great, with a few exceptions, but overall I like them.
Honestly though after reading this book and the way everything was handled. Humanity in this world deserves to die.
The first book in this series was really good. I loved the world building and the story. You got a real sense of the desperation and fight that humanity had going. You were rooting for them.
In this book it really highlighted how selfish and awful humanity is. People manipulating each other and using each other however they wanted. The hunters are all jaded assholes, the guilds are insane and bloodthirsty, and the people in charge are moronic.
Any world with powers wouldn’t just allow people, ESPECIALLY MORONIC CHILDREN, who have the ability to full control and influence the minds of others to just use their abilities freely without any form of control on them. That’s is idiotic beyond measure to think would be the case. EVERY book or series rightfully fears and controls/limits people with those types of abilities. This one, they just do what they want and no one really does a thing about it.
I love the MC, I’ve wanted a strong crafter character for a long time, he can be whiny and second guesses himself a lot, but he’s a kid. Most of the support characters are really great, with a few exceptions, but overall I like them.
Honestly though after reading this book and the way everything was handled. Humanity in this world deserves to die.
February 9, 2024
I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this book. You never quite know what you're going to get in a sequel and there's also a tendency for the glamour to wear off, leaving the characterization and plotting more exposed and vulnerable if there are flaws. I tend to excuse shallow characters in the first book since there are a lot of things to do, but in the sequel I have a harder time excusing it.
On that note, I think the characters are probably the strongest part of this series for me. I will say that the characterization will probably be the most significant contributor to a reader's enjoyment or frustration regarding this book.
The author made some choices in this book that may impact various readers differently. While the first book focused more on the demon threat, this volume introduced the insidious nature of alternative threats, namely different factions of humanity. In addition to new factions, there are also some individual characters that fall into the villain role in this story. There's a lot more gray area rather than simply hero or bad guy as this book shows the darker side to some of humanity's heroes.
Something I personally didn't like so much was how this volume really put the fallibility of the heroes on full display. It makes some characters a little less likable when they choose to ignore certain things. I'm willing to give the author credit and see what the payoff for this decision is later in the series, but many people might have trouble with some events in this book, how people behave, and how people react to that behavior.
Following on these points, this book feels less high-stakes in the sense that there's not an immediate threat trying to destroy the school. Instead, the focus shifts to the idea that there's a rot from within that may be worse than the demons. Rather than having a large climax or payoff in this book, it felt like the plot was planting some flags for future events instead.
All that being said, this series has already avoided a common pitfall for gamelit/cultivation/fantasy books by having a solid supporting cast that feels fleshed out. There is actually tension between the characters from things that happen, even if the events aren't world-shattering.
I was lukewarm on the first half of this book and wondered if it would end up being 4 stars, but things improved in the second half for me and I was interested to follow things as they developed. The next volume will play a large role in determining my overall thoughts for this series as the author will need to deliver some payoffs for some of the maneuvering in this book.
On that note, I think the characters are probably the strongest part of this series for me. I will say that the characterization will probably be the most significant contributor to a reader's enjoyment or frustration regarding this book.
The author made some choices in this book that may impact various readers differently. While the first book focused more on the demon threat, this volume introduced the insidious nature of alternative threats, namely different factions of humanity. In addition to new factions, there are also some individual characters that fall into the villain role in this story. There's a lot more gray area rather than simply hero or bad guy as this book shows the darker side to some of humanity's heroes.
Something I personally didn't like so much was how this volume really put the fallibility of the heroes on full display. It makes some characters a little less likable when they choose to ignore certain things. I'm willing to give the author credit and see what the payoff for this decision is later in the series, but many people might have trouble with some events in this book, how people behave, and how people react to that behavior.
Following on these points, this book feels less high-stakes in the sense that there's not an immediate threat trying to destroy the school. Instead, the focus shifts to the idea that there's a rot from within that may be worse than the demons. Rather than having a large climax or payoff in this book, it felt like the plot was planting some flags for future events instead.
All that being said, this series has already avoided a common pitfall for gamelit/cultivation/fantasy books by having a solid supporting cast that feels fleshed out. There is actually tension between the characters from things that happen, even if the events aren't world-shattering.
I was lukewarm on the first half of this book and wondered if it would end up being 4 stars, but things improved in the second half for me and I was interested to follow things as they developed. The next volume will play a large role in determining my overall thoughts for this series as the author will need to deliver some payoffs for some of the maneuvering in this book.
January 16, 2024
Nothing to move story occurs
Main character moves backwards loses strength. Takes a full load of disrespect from teammates and leaders with no response . At least twice loses agency completely and worse accepts it. Along with a torture porn segment .
Main character moves backwards loses strength. Takes a full load of disrespect from teammates and leaders with no response . At least twice loses agency completely and worse accepts it. Along with a torture porn segment .
April 6, 2024
Crap crap crap
Well this was a gigantic disappointment. First off there's like zero character growth. Like it's pointed out to him by 10 different people how much he's not developing as he should be and he just continues to make excuses and be a coward. Like I enjoy a flawed protagonist but this is ridiculous. The pacing is also utterly ridiculous we're two full books in and like two maybe three months have taken place?! How many books in the series are there going to be 89?! Like what the ? So if you want to read about a protagonist who pisses away all his potential while making constant and excuses to himself and ignoring what everyone tells him this is your book.
Well this was a gigantic disappointment. First off there's like zero character growth. Like it's pointed out to him by 10 different people how much he's not developing as he should be and he just continues to make excuses and be a coward. Like I enjoy a flawed protagonist but this is ridiculous. The pacing is also utterly ridiculous we're two full books in and like two maybe three months have taken place?! How many books in the series are there going to be 89?! Like what the ? So if you want to read about a protagonist who pisses away all his potential while making constant and excuses to himself and ignoring what everyone tells him this is your book.
January 14, 2024
A poor follow up to the first book. Reading this was such a major let down because I was waiting so much for this book.
This book put so much consideration into crafting that it relegated Characters like Divinity and Barry into the sidelines.
For a book set in an academy, we didn't even get a classroom scene. It was all craft and craft room.
Also, I support Erika in that Sal could be making use of his powers and is just a coward, but maybe that's how his character development goes?
Didn't scratch my itch one bit.
This book put so much consideration into crafting that it relegated Characters like Divinity and Barry into the sidelines.
For a book set in an academy, we didn't even get a classroom scene. It was all craft and craft room.
Also, I support Erika in that Sal could be making use of his powers and is just a coward, but maybe that's how his character development goes?
Didn't scratch my itch one bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2025
idk man ... still going for now
January 14, 2024
why is it titled scavengers?
Great book. Entire first book was like the first month or so.. this next book adds like another month. We’re at like half way through the first semester of the first year by the end of the 2nd book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely a phenomenal world, filled with interesting characters and the Sal has genuine character growth.
Kinda infuriating how everyone brings up that he’s a first year when they want to dismiss him, but then ignore that he’s not even been in the academy for a full semester when they pressure him with expectations. But that’s what makes it real, because everyone sets their own expectation on Sal.
****Spoiler alert ****
Kinda lost the thread there in the last 3 chapters for Sal’s narrative. Erica takes over his body and makes him take hits from golems to trigger his armor’s skills. He gets injured and also makes him relive his mental trauma of being helpless in the face of danger, like his night terrors. He threatens to take her powers away from her. Then he gets mad that guilds would have accepted what she did as a legitimate strategy. Then he gets mad at his other instructor, because it’s the whole hero society that thinks that a strategy that sacrifices people for the mission is fine.
Sal learns that Erica was actually assigned to protect him. And so he goes to apologize that she was given that duty… and she admits that she made him take the hits on purpose because he lacks conviction and he has the most powerful ability but just crafts. Then he’s angry at himself and vows to go dungeon diving in the next book.
In the span of 2 days in the story.. and across 3 chapters, I’m just so confused by Sal and I felt like I lost the thread of connection. He had plenty of legitimate angers and causes, especially against Erica literally make him relive his traumatic nightmares, but it ends with him just saying im gonna double down on training…
Also why the hell is the book titled scavengers? When it’s referencing scavenger runs, but they literally did not go on a single scavenger run. Sal was forced to clear a dungeon, but a scavenger run is when trainees go into an area that has been recently cleared and harvest materials, not an active dungeon.. or that weird excursion.
The biggest let down is knowing that I’m gonna have to wait a longgggg time for the next release, after I throughly enjoyed this series (barring the few grievances mentioned).
Great book. Entire first book was like the first month or so.. this next book adds like another month. We’re at like half way through the first semester of the first year by the end of the 2nd book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely a phenomenal world, filled with interesting characters and the Sal has genuine character growth.
Kinda infuriating how everyone brings up that he’s a first year when they want to dismiss him, but then ignore that he’s not even been in the academy for a full semester when they pressure him with expectations. But that’s what makes it real, because everyone sets their own expectation on Sal.
****Spoiler alert ****
Kinda lost the thread there in the last 3 chapters for Sal’s narrative. Erica takes over his body and makes him take hits from golems to trigger his armor’s skills. He gets injured and also makes him relive his mental trauma of being helpless in the face of danger, like his night terrors. He threatens to take her powers away from her. Then he gets mad that guilds would have accepted what she did as a legitimate strategy. Then he gets mad at his other instructor, because it’s the whole hero society that thinks that a strategy that sacrifices people for the mission is fine.
Sal learns that Erica was actually assigned to protect him. And so he goes to apologize that she was given that duty… and she admits that she made him take the hits on purpose because he lacks conviction and he has the most powerful ability but just crafts. Then he’s angry at himself and vows to go dungeon diving in the next book.
In the span of 2 days in the story.. and across 3 chapters, I’m just so confused by Sal and I felt like I lost the thread of connection. He had plenty of legitimate angers and causes, especially against Erica literally make him relive his traumatic nightmares, but it ends with him just saying im gonna double down on training…
Also why the hell is the book titled scavengers? When it’s referencing scavenger runs, but they literally did not go on a single scavenger run. Sal was forced to clear a dungeon, but a scavenger run is when trainees go into an area that has been recently cleared and harvest materials, not an active dungeon.. or that weird excursion.
The biggest let down is knowing that I’m gonna have to wait a longgggg time for the next release, after I throughly enjoyed this series (barring the few grievances mentioned).
August 6, 2025
Okay... I have so many things to say I'm not even sure where to start.
WARNING: This review I guess has spoilers, though I try to stay vague and not name characters. Also I have things to say that will be political, so if you don't like it probably don't read it, but do realize that it actually IS relevant since it is a huge theme in the book, which is why I am bringing it up.
Let's start with the good.
The World: 5 stars
Powers: 5 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Syntax: 5 stars
This world is such a cool idea. I think it's kind of fresh in the approach to the portal genre. I like the domes and the level of technology in this super post-fantasy world and the way humanity has evolved and been able to fight back. And because one of my FAVORITE things to read are mage academy arcs I was HOOKED from book one.
The powers are unique, I like the nuances in control and crafting, I like how crafting is done and how yea there's tons of explanations but at the end of the day still has that sort of swish and flicker effect that is just purely magical. I think the pacing is good too, I rarely get bored. [ALTHOUGH! I will say sometimes it's TOO fast. Like book one so much happened in those first two weeks that it was a little unbelievable. Book two is better about this though]. Also I like the writing style, the conversations are (mostly) believable and I think how the emotions are displayed in the narrative is really good.
However.....
Book two has much more political BS in play that I'm not sure I can get through. It kills the enjoyment of this awesome fantasy world by bringing in the complete nonsense of our current political situation. It clearly sits on one side of the fence. Which okay fine, I get we have different opinions, I'm not made about that, but listen. It's e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. That makes it super hard to ignore. The authors world view is so skewed that it makes what the characters he creates unbelievably self righteous, evil, and entitled. Which is rather ironic because I believe he was trying to go for the opposite of that.
Things I hate:
Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 1 star
Dialogue: 2 stars
Morals/Lessons: 1 star
Sal is written as a super insecure boy, which is fine but his insecurity is so low that it's actually crippling. Because of it he let's people literally walk all over him and thanks them for it as if somehow he is wrong just for existing. It really reminds me of white guilt. Like listen. Why do you feel guilty if you did nothing wrong but just exist? What are you supposed to do? Die? Like get real. Existing, regardless of your privilege, is not inherently wrong. You could say abusing that privilege is wrong, but listen, Sal is not abusing his privilege.
In fact, Sal spends copious, annoying, amounts of time thinking about his privilege and how unfair it is that he didn't grow up starving, or being traumatizes by monster's like other people.... and listen. Why is that a thing to apologize for? It's not like HE is the one making people starve or attacking people and their family? It gets soooo tiring listening to him literally work himself half to death trying to please everyone around him, trying to come up with new ways to help people, being put on the front lines of this little war effort with ZERO/VERY LITTLE training (in book one it was literally a week or two), only for everyone around him to berate him for getting a goods night rest.
Sure they'll say 'take care of yourself', but their actions continually put him in a situation where he CANNOT take care of himself. They demand he do more for them, passing out? not an excuse Sal good job for staying up all night making more blueprints. Innate fears? how dare he have them. When (his mentor) used a sacred moment where he opened up to her to fulfill her so called need to help him (though he didn't ask for it) by using manipulation to force him to fix his fears on HER time and in HER way without his consent? Lost all respect for that character. Struggling with nightmares Sal? It's somehow his fault for not dealing with those (even though it's a very RECENT trauma that was inflicted by a FRIEND- who never once asked him if he as having trouble after the fact btw). Wearing yourself thin is just not enough Sal! You need to DIE for everyone else! Except that's not enough either, how dare you die?!
This type of bashing makes the storyline sound asisine as well, because everyone recognizes that he's the greatest crafter, and common sense tells you not to put your master crafter on the front lines. That's a REASONABLE and SOUND strategy. But everyone in the book wants to put him on the front lines. And when he finally gets to (not even a front line just a little training) the characters berating him for not being on the front lines go "but yea you need to be protected at all costs though cause your master crafting is important"... If it's so important that everyone needs to protect him on the battlefield then WHY ARE YOU PUTTING HIM ON THE BATTLEFIELD TO BEGIN WITH?!
It's one or the other! Either everyone needs to fight regardless of the HUGE benefit and increased survivability to literally thousands of others, OR, you leave him alone and let him freaking equip everyone else who fights! Now. If he wants to do both, then that's a different story but listen, he clearly DOESN'T. So he shouldn't be FORCED to kill himself trying to be the best crafter and then get berated for not killing himself trying to be the best front-liner as well.
Another thing... why is Sal listening to people who don't care about him? It's so frustrating. You know this person hates you, resents you, has no good thoughts about you, has attacked you on purpose, WANTS to hurt you... and so your logical conclusion is to take the lies YOU KNOW they are spouting to heart? Over the advice of those who actually love you? I can't take it. The glorification Sal gives to his abusers, the fact that he THANKS his abusers and APOLOGIZES to them because he (briefly) got angry after they PURPOSEFULLY traumatize him.... is so unpalatable.
Maybe this is actually a reflection of how the author feels? Idk if the author is white or not but I feel like Sal (regardless of his name) is the perfect example of how a straight white male must feel in todays world. Auto privileged assigned at birth, oppressor label firmly attached though he's done nothing wrong, forced to apologize for his existence and be thankful to those who hate him. It's BS!
But I digress...
I'm trying to decide whether to keep listening, because I honestly believe the author is clueless as to how his writing is coming across, and is probably just writing the worldview he knows and how he has experienced life but wow... bleak sir. Bleak.
Brian Nordon, I am a black woman, and I am telling you that it is okay to enjoy privilege, it is okay not to want to die or be put in harms way regardless of how much power or privilege you have, it is okay to do things for yourself AND help others (doesn't have to be one or the other), it is okay to call people on their foolery when they try to guilt you into feeling shame for existing, it is okay to be mad at people who abuse you/traumatize you REGARDLESS of if you have more privilege than them.
Just because someone has suffered more than you doesn't make them right, and doesn't make you inherently wrong, or in debt to them. The amount of someone's suffering or privilege isn't a contest, and those who have less privilege or who have suffered more are NOT somehow more noble and true. It's a person's CHARACTER that decides that. Not that you'll read this but Brian, your story is SO good... if only the characters IN the story had a FRACTION more integrity... or if you could just tell the story without the real life political BS, this would be hands down 5 stars for me.
All that to say: Very much Conflicting Read.
WARNING: This review I guess has spoilers, though I try to stay vague and not name characters. Also I have things to say that will be political, so if you don't like it probably don't read it, but do realize that it actually IS relevant since it is a huge theme in the book, which is why I am bringing it up.
Let's start with the good.
The World: 5 stars
Powers: 5 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Syntax: 5 stars
This world is such a cool idea. I think it's kind of fresh in the approach to the portal genre. I like the domes and the level of technology in this super post-fantasy world and the way humanity has evolved and been able to fight back. And because one of my FAVORITE things to read are mage academy arcs I was HOOKED from book one.
The powers are unique, I like the nuances in control and crafting, I like how crafting is done and how yea there's tons of explanations but at the end of the day still has that sort of swish and flicker effect that is just purely magical. I think the pacing is good too, I rarely get bored. [ALTHOUGH! I will say sometimes it's TOO fast. Like book one so much happened in those first two weeks that it was a little unbelievable. Book two is better about this though]. Also I like the writing style, the conversations are (mostly) believable and I think how the emotions are displayed in the narrative is really good.
However.....
Book two has much more political BS in play that I'm not sure I can get through. It kills the enjoyment of this awesome fantasy world by bringing in the complete nonsense of our current political situation. It clearly sits on one side of the fence. Which okay fine, I get we have different opinions, I'm not made about that, but listen. It's e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. That makes it super hard to ignore. The authors world view is so skewed that it makes what the characters he creates unbelievably self righteous, evil, and entitled. Which is rather ironic because I believe he was trying to go for the opposite of that.
Things I hate:
Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 1 star
Dialogue: 2 stars
Morals/Lessons: 1 star
Sal is written as a super insecure boy, which is fine but his insecurity is so low that it's actually crippling. Because of it he let's people literally walk all over him and thanks them for it as if somehow he is wrong just for existing. It really reminds me of white guilt. Like listen. Why do you feel guilty if you did nothing wrong but just exist? What are you supposed to do? Die? Like get real. Existing, regardless of your privilege, is not inherently wrong. You could say abusing that privilege is wrong, but listen, Sal is not abusing his privilege.
In fact, Sal spends copious, annoying, amounts of time thinking about his privilege and how unfair it is that he didn't grow up starving, or being traumatizes by monster's like other people.... and listen. Why is that a thing to apologize for? It's not like HE is the one making people starve or attacking people and their family? It gets soooo tiring listening to him literally work himself half to death trying to please everyone around him, trying to come up with new ways to help people, being put on the front lines of this little war effort with ZERO/VERY LITTLE training (in book one it was literally a week or two), only for everyone around him to berate him for getting a goods night rest.
Sure they'll say 'take care of yourself', but their actions continually put him in a situation where he CANNOT take care of himself. They demand he do more for them, passing out? not an excuse Sal good job for staying up all night making more blueprints. Innate fears? how dare he have them. When (his mentor) used a sacred moment where he opened up to her to fulfill her so called need to help him (though he didn't ask for it) by using manipulation to force him to fix his fears on HER time and in HER way without his consent? Lost all respect for that character. Struggling with nightmares Sal? It's somehow his fault for not dealing with those (even though it's a very RECENT trauma that was inflicted by a FRIEND- who never once asked him if he as having trouble after the fact btw). Wearing yourself thin is just not enough Sal! You need to DIE for everyone else! Except that's not enough either, how dare you die?!
This type of bashing makes the storyline sound asisine as well, because everyone recognizes that he's the greatest crafter, and common sense tells you not to put your master crafter on the front lines. That's a REASONABLE and SOUND strategy. But everyone in the book wants to put him on the front lines. And when he finally gets to (not even a front line just a little training) the characters berating him for not being on the front lines go "but yea you need to be protected at all costs though cause your master crafting is important"... If it's so important that everyone needs to protect him on the battlefield then WHY ARE YOU PUTTING HIM ON THE BATTLEFIELD TO BEGIN WITH?!
It's one or the other! Either everyone needs to fight regardless of the HUGE benefit and increased survivability to literally thousands of others, OR, you leave him alone and let him freaking equip everyone else who fights! Now. If he wants to do both, then that's a different story but listen, he clearly DOESN'T. So he shouldn't be FORCED to kill himself trying to be the best crafter and then get berated for not killing himself trying to be the best front-liner as well.
Another thing... why is Sal listening to people who don't care about him? It's so frustrating. You know this person hates you, resents you, has no good thoughts about you, has attacked you on purpose, WANTS to hurt you... and so your logical conclusion is to take the lies YOU KNOW they are spouting to heart? Over the advice of those who actually love you? I can't take it. The glorification Sal gives to his abusers, the fact that he THANKS his abusers and APOLOGIZES to them because he (briefly) got angry after they PURPOSEFULLY traumatize him.... is so unpalatable.
Maybe this is actually a reflection of how the author feels? Idk if the author is white or not but I feel like Sal (regardless of his name) is the perfect example of how a straight white male must feel in todays world. Auto privileged assigned at birth, oppressor label firmly attached though he's done nothing wrong, forced to apologize for his existence and be thankful to those who hate him. It's BS!
But I digress...
I'm trying to decide whether to keep listening, because I honestly believe the author is clueless as to how his writing is coming across, and is probably just writing the worldview he knows and how he has experienced life but wow... bleak sir. Bleak.
Brian Nordon, I am a black woman, and I am telling you that it is okay to enjoy privilege, it is okay not to want to die or be put in harms way regardless of how much power or privilege you have, it is okay to do things for yourself AND help others (doesn't have to be one or the other), it is okay to call people on their foolery when they try to guilt you into feeling shame for existing, it is okay to be mad at people who abuse you/traumatize you REGARDLESS of if you have more privilege than them.
Just because someone has suffered more than you doesn't make them right, and doesn't make you inherently wrong, or in debt to them. The amount of someone's suffering or privilege isn't a contest, and those who have less privilege or who have suffered more are NOT somehow more noble and true. It's a person's CHARACTER that decides that. Not that you'll read this but Brian, your story is SO good... if only the characters IN the story had a FRACTION more integrity... or if you could just tell the story without the real life political BS, this would be hands down 5 stars for me.
All that to say: Very much Conflicting Read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2024
A fun if flawed read
Book 2 of Quest Academy picks up right where book 1 left off, and it’s a really nice read. The characters are fun, the world is fascinating, and the protagonist has an actual personality.
But not everything is perfect. My main gripes are:
1. It’s been a few months since book 1, and I’ve read a few books between now and then. While I eventually got back up to speed, a bit of refresher on important characters and the plot last time would have been appreciated. As it was, I spent the first third of the book going “who was that again? Right, right, now why were they important?”
2. This isn’t really a complaint about this book specifically but about the genre as a whole. There’s been a trend I’ve noticed that takes place in book 2 of self published progression fantasy books: namely, there doesn’t seem to actually be a story. It’s more that things just happen until enough things have happened for the author to feel comfortable calling it a day, and so it is here. There’s very little narrative through line, no big overarching plot, and no climax to speak of. It feels like we were finally starting to build to one before the book just kinda sorta stopped. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s a bit frustrating.
Aside from the above points, I very much enjoyed the return to Quest Academy. Can’t wait for book 3!
Book 2 of Quest Academy picks up right where book 1 left off, and it’s a really nice read. The characters are fun, the world is fascinating, and the protagonist has an actual personality.
But not everything is perfect. My main gripes are:
1. It’s been a few months since book 1, and I’ve read a few books between now and then. While I eventually got back up to speed, a bit of refresher on important characters and the plot last time would have been appreciated. As it was, I spent the first third of the book going “who was that again? Right, right, now why were they important?”
2. This isn’t really a complaint about this book specifically but about the genre as a whole. There’s been a trend I’ve noticed that takes place in book 2 of self published progression fantasy books: namely, there doesn’t seem to actually be a story. It’s more that things just happen until enough things have happened for the author to feel comfortable calling it a day, and so it is here. There’s very little narrative through line, no big overarching plot, and no climax to speak of. It feels like we were finally starting to build to one before the book just kinda sorta stopped. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s a bit frustrating.
Aside from the above points, I very much enjoyed the return to Quest Academy. Can’t wait for book 3!
December 28, 2024
The MC has two of the most overpowered abilities ever.... and yet what is he doing with them? Basically nothing. Instead he is in this stupid school where everyone wants him to become a front line fighter. Or they tell him he needs to scavenge for all his crafting materials. WHY? He can just hire people to get his materials. The final product, a mythic weapon, is obviously far more valuable than the materials. Scavenging can by done by any Joe Shmoe fighter, and is a complete waste of his time.
If they really wanted to "help the war effort", he would just skill enhance every top Hunter in the world. Making everyone far stronger. At the same time they would feed him endless materials to get him to produce Mythic weapons, which currently don't exist at all.
Instead they send him camping. Where he then gets mind controlled into torture, and afterward he gets gaslighted into thinking he Needed that torture, that it was actually a good thing. Now he just needs to "face his fears" some more and put himself into endless danger. It is just stupidity.
If they really wanted to "help the war effort", he would just skill enhance every top Hunter in the world. Making everyone far stronger. At the same time they would feed him endless materials to get him to produce Mythic weapons, which currently don't exist at all.
Instead they send him camping. Where he then gets mind controlled into torture, and afterward he gets gaslighted into thinking he Needed that torture, that it was actually a good thing. Now he just needs to "face his fears" some more and put himself into endless danger. It is just stupidity.
January 15, 2024
Book two
I enjoyed this book so much that I stayed up till five forty five in the morning just to finish it.
I will say one thing about the MC.
He is weak. He lets his fear and his doubts keep him from using his abilities to the fullest.
Instead he wants to hide and build equipment with a skill he got by accident.
That skill master skill can help so many more people, and he could be collecting all those skills.
I bet something neat would happen if he collected a bunch of the same types of skills.
We see growth in the MC but it doesn't seem to stick.
Yes the crafting is cool, but the real power is skill master.
Wish he had the internal fortitude to actually use it to the max.
9/10 I get a bit tired of the MC being afraid all the time and making excuses.
I enjoyed this book so much that I stayed up till five forty five in the morning just to finish it.
I will say one thing about the MC.
He is weak. He lets his fear and his doubts keep him from using his abilities to the fullest.
Instead he wants to hide and build equipment with a skill he got by accident.
That skill master skill can help so many more people, and he could be collecting all those skills.
I bet something neat would happen if he collected a bunch of the same types of skills.
We see growth in the MC but it doesn't seem to stick.
Yes the crafting is cool, but the real power is skill master.
Wish he had the internal fortitude to actually use it to the max.
9/10 I get a bit tired of the MC being afraid all the time and making excuses.
June 6, 2024
I knew what I was going into. I read the first book, I knew it's a product of Royal Road and I was aware of all the problems with the main character. My disbelief was suitably suspended, and my expectations inexistant. I, however, wasn't expecting a monumental ethical problem.
In this book, taking over another person's mind, locking them out and taking control of their body while they are completely conscious, subjecting them physical abuse and disposing of their body however you want is treated as a completely legitimate action, if perhaps distasteful. What amounts to rape is not only just fine, but the victim is made to apologize to their rapist. The end. I was flabbergasted.
I don't have anything more to say. I'm too disgusted with the author to bother with a future book.
In this book, taking over another person's mind, locking them out and taking control of their body while they are completely conscious, subjecting them physical abuse and disposing of their body however you want is treated as a completely legitimate action, if perhaps distasteful. What amounts to rape is not only just fine, but the victim is made to apologize to their rapist. The end. I was flabbergasted.
I don't have anything more to say. I'm too disgusted with the author to bother with a future book.
March 3, 2024
It blows my mind how this book, which is way worse than the first, can get so many 5 star ratings.
The main character has the ability to mimic and maximize other people's skill, yet 95% of the book is about crafting boring and low level accessories and a fuckin visor. Wow, super exciting! With this visor he can see screens of shitty information like how they're regarded by the different organizations!
The MC character turning into a weak pushover is the final touch that makes this sequel really bad.
The main character has the ability to mimic and maximize other people's skill, yet 95% of the book is about crafting boring and low level accessories and a fuckin visor. Wow, super exciting! With this visor he can see screens of shitty information like how they're regarded by the different organizations!
The MC character turning into a weak pushover is the final touch that makes this sequel really bad.
January 20, 2024
This is an extremely depressing read
If you want a hero to be the main character, don’t read this. However, if you want to live the life of someone who has an extreme level of anxiety, moderate autism, and crippling depression then this is the book for you.
It’s too bad, the first book was pretty good.
If you want a hero to be the main character, don’t read this. However, if you want to live the life of someone who has an extreme level of anxiety, moderate autism, and crippling depression then this is the book for you.
It’s too bad, the first book was pretty good.
December 16, 2023
The story picks up where it left off in book 1.
We have more crafting goodness, more academy shenanigans and the world is peeled back a bit more, expanding on the richness that has been created.
One of those times where the sequel might be better than the first.
We have more crafting goodness, more academy shenanigans and the world is peeled back a bit more, expanding on the richness that has been created.
One of those times where the sequel might be better than the first.
July 1, 2024
The Erika character is comically evil, this one character ruined a pretty fun book. How disappointing
January 13, 2024
OP MC doesn’t want to be HERO
He doesn’t *want* to be a frontliner; he doesn’t want to face demons. Makes for an interesting character. Much deeper than the usual.
Amazing crafting, with hints of true utility.
Erica both is and is not as bad as others may have said. She stays true to character and offers a unique challenge/opportunity for the MC. *Not* redeeming her was a smart choice.
Barely 2 months have passed in-world. Events seem a blistering pace, but time passed is consistent.
Pre-ordering the next ASAP.
He doesn’t *want* to be a frontliner; he doesn’t want to face demons. Makes for an interesting character. Much deeper than the usual.
Amazing crafting, with hints of true utility.
Erica both is and is not as bad as others may have said. She stays true to character and offers a unique challenge/opportunity for the MC. *Not* redeeming her was a smart choice.
Barely 2 months have passed in-world. Events seem a blistering pace, but time passed is consistent.
Pre-ordering the next ASAP.
October 22, 2024
The author is doing the one thing that most books cannot do - it has a reason the children are the only ones that can solve the world's problems. Then the author goes and takes the book in a completely different direction. Why would you have Myth go out and fight? I put the book down for over a month and I didn't pick it back up until I forgot about the first half of the book. The author can build a scene but the greater story is a mess.
May 9, 2024
Fuck Erika.
I liked this almost entirely more than the first book but Erika and the controller powers/mind set really rub me the wrong way. She did have a point, straight from most people’s minds, about how he should be grabbing all the powers he can.
I liked this almost entirely more than the first book but Erika and the controller powers/mind set really rub me the wrong way. She did have a point, straight from most people’s minds, about how he should be grabbing all the powers he can.
January 16, 2024
Honestly horrible last half
Kill off Erika, she needs to die to make the book series better honestly. Also make the MC grow a pair of balls. It's funny all this book leads up to is Erika calling out Sal for his short comings and useless use of his talents. That is what wakes him up to it. But the whole time it's complaint and a pity party for Sal. Good job author for ruining this series for me
Kill off Erika, she needs to die to make the book series better honestly. Also make the MC grow a pair of balls. It's funny all this book leads up to is Erika calling out Sal for his short comings and useless use of his talents. That is what wakes him up to it. But the whole time it's complaint and a pity party for Sal. Good job author for ruining this series for me
January 29, 2024
The OP underdog is at it again!
I enjoyed the second book of the series. Sal continues his crafting Journey. The interplay and relationships and the world building is where the real enjoyment come from. An excellent continuance to the first book!
I enjoyed the second book of the series. Sal continues his crafting Journey. The interplay and relationships and the world building is where the real enjoyment come from. An excellent continuance to the first book!
October 10, 2025
No scavenging occurred?
January 15, 2024
Fun
Although the story is great and the MC is interesting, the best part is that I still find the MC irritating yet I can't stop reading and hoping he will get his s#$t together.
Although the story is great and the MC is interesting, the best part is that I still find the MC irritating yet I can't stop reading and hoping he will get his s#$t together.
June 6, 2024
Some odd choices. Lack of action. Some creative things about crafting, conveys some of the awesomeness of accomplishments, but could be edited to be shorter.
Lots of good little aspects. The author takes the stance that many people wouldn't be able to jump right in to being a demon slayer. A issue that most of this genre don't tackle. Like most things in life, most people would need to work their way up. But come on, gives us a little more demon slaying now that we are in book 2.
The MC finds some creative ways to use his very powerful powers. He makes mistakes, he gets better. Author has a lot of possibilities going, MC is very busy and he can't possibly get to everything (every "side quest") that arises. Which makes me curious about which path he will take, what will he accomplish?
I didn't like the the handling of the mind control type heroes. It's not plausible that that they would given such free rein to control human minds. Preventing someone from speaking in a lunch room was just the beginning. The mind controllers aren't even that useful for fighting demons... or maybe they can mind control demons, but we haven't seen that happen. Anyway, I'm sure that in most cultures, forcing a teammate to get hurt for the good of the team (but not in an actual life threatening battle) would not be tolerated. Here it's just frowned on. By being telepathically forced, the MC essentially experienced a form of rape, and then he was made to think maybe he deserved it because he could be better and more bold. Nordon should turn down the sociopath vibe at Quest Academy.
Often lacks an indication that there has been a jump forward in time in the story. I like simple punctuation or symbol approaches (3 hexagons, or whatever) to break up sections within a chapter.
Lots of good little aspects. The author takes the stance that many people wouldn't be able to jump right in to being a demon slayer. A issue that most of this genre don't tackle. Like most things in life, most people would need to work their way up. But come on, gives us a little more demon slaying now that we are in book 2.
The MC finds some creative ways to use his very powerful powers. He makes mistakes, he gets better. Author has a lot of possibilities going, MC is very busy and he can't possibly get to everything (every "side quest") that arises. Which makes me curious about which path he will take, what will he accomplish?
I didn't like the the handling of the mind control type heroes. It's not plausible that that they would given such free rein to control human minds. Preventing someone from speaking in a lunch room was just the beginning. The mind controllers aren't even that useful for fighting demons... or maybe they can mind control demons, but we haven't seen that happen. Anyway, I'm sure that in most cultures, forcing a teammate to get hurt for the good of the team (but not in an actual life threatening battle) would not be tolerated. Here it's just frowned on. By being telepathically forced, the MC essentially experienced a form of rape, and then he was made to think maybe he deserved it because he could be better and more bold. Nordon should turn down the sociopath vibe at Quest Academy.
Often lacks an indication that there has been a jump forward in time in the story. I like simple punctuation or symbol approaches (3 hexagons, or whatever) to break up sections within a chapter.
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